Coffin-fastener



(No Model.) I

. .PORSHAY.

0 PIN FASTENER. I

No. 428,335. Patented May 20, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY C. FORSHAY, OF NElN YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO JOHN S. CLARK &

00., OF NEIVARK, NENV JERSEY.

COFFlN-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,335, dated May 20,1890.

Application filed June 18, 1889.

To alt whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY C. FoRsHAY, of New York city, county and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFasteners for Casket-Covers, &c., of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to fastening devices especially intended forsecuring covers upon coffins or burial-caskets, but which may be appliedin other situations where like security and facility of attachment andremoval are desired.

The object of my invention is to supply a simple, cheap, durable, andefficient fastener for securing the cover, which shall be concealed,which is not exposed to damage by accident, with which the cover may bei11- stantly and easily detached by one person or applied in likemanner, of which the parts are few and simple and capable of beingrapidly applied or mounted, and which is applicable for all styles andforms of coffin or casket covers.

To accomplish all of this and to secure other and further advantages inthe matters of construction, operation, application, and use myimprovements involve certain new and useful arrangements or combinationsof parts, details of construction, and principles of operation, as willbe herein first fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, I haveshown at Figu re 1 a fragment of one sideof a coffin or casket, partlyin elevation and partly in section, the cover being held in place by myimproved device; and at Fig. 2, a cross-section through one of theholding-plates. Fig. 3 is a side view, and Fig. 4 a cross-section,of thespringlatch portion detached and on a larger scale than in previousfigures. Fig. 5 is a top view of a fragment of the side of a coffin orcasket,

showing the recess therein and the holdingplate and staple in place.Fig. 6 is a perspective of one of the holding-plates detached. Fig. 7 isa cross-section showing one manner of securing the push-pin in place.

In all the figures like letters of reference, Wherever they occur,indicate corresponding parts.

- A is one side wall of any coffin or casket, and B the removable top orcover. The cover is intended to be fastened by application of like meansto both sides or edges, though only one side is represented, which issufficient for the purposes of this'description.

O is a hook-shaped dowel of ample strength, secured upon a plate D,which is screwed to the under side of the cover. The bearing face ofthis dowel is inclined, so that it may be wedged to final position andhold the cover without rattling.

Upon the upper side of plate D is hinged a tongue or latch to upon anaxis 19 and held in closed position by a spring, as c. The cover isrecessed sufficiently to accommodate the movements of thespring-actuated tongue.

Vithin the side wall is a holding-plate E, which is made of peculiarfashion in order that it may be easily and securely applied. It isperforated, as at d, to receive the dowel or hook O, and is made of flatmetal bent at 7 5 right angles, as shown, and having a part below theperforation d inclined or cut away. To apply this holding-plate to thevertical wall of the coffin, &o., a simple saw-cut from the insidetoward the outside is all the prep- 8o aration that is necessary, thewall having a well or cavity sufficient to receive the hooks. Into thissaw-cut the plate is inserted and there secured by a screw or screws,which pass through the plate and into the inner face of the verticalwall. This construction is very simple and strong and the mode ofapplication such as to obviate all difficult fitting and cutting of thematerial of the coffin.

At 6 is a push-pin, which bears upon the end of the arm carrying thetongue ct. This pin passes through a perforation made for it in thecover.

WVhen the casket is covered, as with cloth, (indicated at f f,) the topof the push-pin is also 5 covered, the upper portion of the perforationthrough the cover being reamed out so that the pin may be pushed down bypressure of the thumb or finger. The cloth cover holds the pin fromaccidental displacement.

When the covering is not employed, an eyelet, as g, Fig. 7, may beinserted in the material of the cover, the same being a trifle larger atbottom than at top, and the pin is also made larger at bottom than attop, and when inserted from below and the latch secured the pin will notbecome displaced. In this last form the pin projects a trifle above thetop of the cover.

At any point or points in advance of the spring latch or lock arelocated other dowels or hooks, as F, which engage with holdingplates E,but which are without springlatches or tongues.

The fasteners being arranged on each side of the coffin or case byplacing the cover on and pushing it forward or along, the latches a willride over the top edges of plates E, the hooks O and F enterperforations d, and when moved far enough the latches a willautomatically spring back and lock the hooks 0 against Withdrawal fromplates E. Without some provision against it, by pulling back upon thecover with suffioi ent force the latches could be crowded up, and thusthe hooks C be left free to be withdrawn. I therefore curve the innerfaces of latches a, and in advance of plates E insert simple staples, ash, over which the latches are compelled to ride. \Vhen the latchesspring down past these staples, any sliding or drawing back of the coverwill crowd the points of the latches farther under the tops of thestaples, and thus prevent the latches from being elevated. So the'coveris locked.

To release the cover after it is locked, it is only necessary to placethe thumbs on the cover and the fingers under the edge of the cover,slide the hands along until the pushpins are felt under the thumbs, thenpush the pins down, draw the cover back slightly, and lift it up andoff.

The fastening device is easily and quickly applied upon any cofiin orcasket. The plate E-can easily be raised or lowered, so that thefastener may be used in cases Where any thickness of covering materialis employed.

The fastener may be applied at either end, and in the event that thecase or casket becomes warped the top may be turned end for end, itbeing only necessary to remove the staples h and insert them in advanceof the other set ofholding-plates.

Having now fully described my invention, whatI claim as new herein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fastener for casket-covers, &c., the angular holding plateperforated, as ex plained, to receive the hooked dowel, said plate beingmounted in a cut in the vertical wall of the casket and secured upon theinner face of said wall, and combined with alockinglatch, substantiallyas shown and described.

2. A casket-fastening consisting of the perforated keeper-plate, thestaple adjacent to said plate, the plate having a perforation and adowel adapted to engage the keeperplate, and the spring-actuated leverpivoted on said plate and having a tongue passing through theperforation therein, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a casket-fastening, the combination of the keeper-plate, the platehaving a dowel depending therefrom, adapted to engage the keeper-plate,and ears or lugs rising therefrom, and the lever fulcrumed on said earsand having a locking-tongue at one end, as and for the purposedescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand inthe presence of two witnesses.

HARRY C. FORSHAY.

Witnesses:

J AOOB H, FORSHAY, WORTH Oseoon.

